Happy 1st Birthday Dessert Safari

The name is Dessert Safari… But that does not mean it is a place where you find only Desserts. They also serve up quite a range of Dishes, both veg and non veg. My 1^st visit here was on Sep 3^rd. The reason I remember the day so well is cos it was the eve of my Birthday and we had a blast. It was pouring and we were cooped up there till past midnight. I even got to cut a cake amidst lovely friends J

It was  therefore quite apt that I was there to ring in their 1st Birthday!! So when I heard Dessert Safari was turning one and we were invited, I dint mind visiting [esp since the place held fond memories]. We were greeted by the Manager and the Chef {who has travelled the world thanks to working in Cruise liners and who also has worked with leading chefs around the globe, including Gordan Ramsay and Remy [from the famous Ratatouille movie]}.  He is a true blue Mylapore boy who studied in Chennai but went abroad for better prospects and is now back home. He spent about half an hour talking to us, giving us insight into plans he had for the place, the new recipes, the Tandoor he had just installed and how he was working on a whole new range of Fusion food.

While I waited, I had a fresh Orange juice, which was quite refreshing. The 1st dish to arrive was the mixed Bean soup, it had chickpeas and black eyed peas among others and was quite rich, we also detected cheese in it. And that was it...we were off to a no "Naan"sense start.. We were served Plain butter naan with a handful of rocket leaves and a dip made with yoghurt and mint, and tamarind chutney. Following this, we tried the Naan pizza- two varieties- 1 with mushroom masala and other with spinach and paneer. Wait; there was one more dish with Naan. It was the naan sandwich- veg had spinach, peas and corn while the non veg had pullapart chicken with pickled carrots.

In between this we were also served a Rocket salad with carrots and shaved fennel. This had me curious and the Chef showed me what a Fennel bulb looked like. I was so excited seeing it, in real [ I had only seen it on TV cookery shows]

We also got a tour of the small kitchen, with the newly installed Tandoor. It was hot at 690-700 degrees and apparently is never turned off. A huge wok is placed on top to cool it off and a wet cloth used to cool down the walls in case it gets too hot, said the chef. Interesting!!

Coming back to the food, we were in for a treat with the desserts. There were quite a range of them- Chocolate cinnamon pie [ served warm]- delicious; and then there was the Chocolate cheesecake served with fresh cream and a dollop of ice cream. This is when Chef suggested we try the ice cream with his Balsamic reduction. And we were pleasantly surprised, loved the combo infact. Who would have thought vanilla ice cream and balsamic went together. This reduction had Dark balsamic vinegar and jaggery reduced down. Finally, there was the Mango parfait, which was similar to a mousse but better, with 4 little intriguing balls of sorts on top. They just popped as they touched our lips, a burst of sourness. We dint know what it was, but loved it and asked for more of it..

We also got to sample the Chef’s new sauces- one made with Coca cola and the other with coconut and Indian spices. All the sauces are vegetarian and these are what is used on the meat dishes as well, explained the Chef. We were curious to know more, and if opportunity arises, we definitely shall go back to try his innovative creations.

Happy Birthday Dessert Safari~!

Address:

107, Eldams Road, Teynampet, Chennai

Ph: 044 33824444

Directions- Dessert safari is down the road from Samco on the left [if you are coming from Alwarpet]

Disclaimer:The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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Cafe Adoniya, Chennai

Maaria Kulsum and Adoniya have become a household name of sorts in Chennai... 1st came clothes, then came jewellery, and then following suit were some yumm cupcakes, cheesecakes and now a cute little cafe inside the Adoniya store. It is quaint, small, and the kind of place that you would hop into if you wanted a Chocolate/sweet fix. If you are still wondering who this Maaria is or what Adoniya is, then I suggest you stop reading right here and get out of your home/office/mall/etc etc and drive down to Harrington Road and see/experience it for yourself. 

Tucked away in the small lane opp Little sister's of the poor leading towards Mehta Hospital, Cafe Adoniya serves up a variety of treats. These range from Sweets, savories, beverages and wait for it- ice cream sundaes as well. Voila~!! 

You could hop in, grab a take away, or sit in one of the pretty pink chairs and savour some treats. While you wait for your dish, spend a few minutes looking around the place and you are bound to crack up with laughter… there is one on the billing counter “We guarantee quick service, no matter how long it takes”and then there is one more WTF- Where is the food? And so many more..

We started the evening with a few thirst quenchers. I opted for Blueberry mojito while others chose different flavours of Mojito, ferrero rocher shake, tiramisu shake and then some more.. Following suit came the lovely paneer wraps and the corny corn sandwich. We were nearly stuffed, but wait the sweet treats were on their way said Maaria- there were different kinds of cupcakes- chocolate, mocha and red velvet, followed by the 7 dessert platter that actually has 6 dessert items and one savory that breaks into the sweet palate perfectly. I also had a cup of coffee, it came in a blue cup & saucer with 2 green containers- one with packets of Sweetners and other with normal sugar. Loved the colours.

Don’t expect a fancy café or something that resembles a CCD or Barista. Adoniya is small, cozy and that is what makes it different.

This cafe is open till 10:30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Apart from Maaria’s treats, you will also find Zaica spices here.

Address: 

Adoniya 

F1, 15th Ave, Harrington Road, 

Chetpet, Chennai- 31

Call 044 28360001 for enquiry or place cake orders

Disclaimer:The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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Cafe Coffee Day Square, Chennai

The very 1^st time I spotted a Café Coffee Day Square was in Bangalore, somewhere near Vittal Mallaya Road if am right. It is at the corner of the junction and there are few life size sculptures outside. A child included. I haven’t been inside but have heard from friends and others that it is a upmarket category CCD outlet. They served coffee from various regions, interesting food and other drink options.

So, when I spotted one in Chennai on KNK road, I must say I was a tad surprised. For one big reason, there is a CCD Lounge the same road, which made me wonder why the company would open another outlet, a Square less than 100 yards from the other one. The CCD Square is more exclusive than Lounge in that it serves single-origin coffees and is aimed at connoisseurs. 

That day when I was meeting a friend after long, she had somehow made up her mind to check out CCD Square and would not hear anything else. So, there we were on KNK road pulling into the parking lot in front of CCD Square. The place is a big grey building with glass all around. We spotted quite a few staff near the entrance and the place was fairly empty. It was then I noticed the upper floor and a few customers near the window. We found a seat near the counter, but it was very noisy [sound from behind the counter] and moved to the other end of the room. There was a beautiful mural of sorts on the wall resembling a forest or coffee plantation and on the other side was a coffee cup and beans spilling over made with cane beads? 

I ordered a Café Frappe while my friend chose a cooler [blue Curacao flavored] that came in a long tall glass. The menu was extensive, and there were bags of coffee beans with various labels on them. The place was tastefully done up, but we felt there were too many staff or maybe they would all be needed if the place was crowded.

Location: Cafe coffee Day Square is located on KNK road, next to Apparao Gallery, Atmosphere store, Kryptos, Adj to Khansama/So Fa So Good.. 

Ambiance: 8/10

Price: 7/10

Food: We just had 2 drinks and they were good. But there was no WOW there.. So 5/10

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Zuka, Pondicherry

"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." - John Q. Tullius

Imagine being surrounded by Chocolates- in their true form, as mousse, cakes, pastries, drinks and much more? It would be heaven for those who love Chocolate. Now, even though I am not crazy about Chocolates, I don't mind indulging once in a while. 

When I was visiting Pondicherry last week, a friend of mine who lives there insisted on taking me to this new dessert place that she said was "awesome". So, we drove down towards Mission Street, almost to the end and there was "ZUKA". My friend mentioned they were earlier called Choco- la. 

We walked in and were greeted by Srinath Balachandar, the man behind Zuka. He also owns the cafe next door where they serve Sandwiches and quiche, soon they will be serving Coffee he told us. 

Simple interiors, a grand display counter and about 2-3 tables with chairs to sit and indulge in. The display showcases the variety of desserts made using chocolate, each one such a treat for the eyes. Srinath went on to tell me about his favorites and those that he recommends. He suggested I try the Hot chocolate and I took him up on it, while my friend went for the "awesome cake", it was a multi layer cake with hazelnut filling combined with chocolate layers. 

 My hot chocolate arrived within seconds, a small cup with the drink, served alongside two small square cups made of chocolate containing chocolate shavings [to be added to the drink], a normal spoon and a spoon made of chocolate [that melts as you stir] .. It was hot, rich, sinful and divine.

The Awesome cake did full justice to its name. Every layer was different and the flavours came together beautifully.  [the one on the right in the photograph below]

Art decor at ZUKA... 

A chocolate bouquet... 

Wait, am not done. You are in for a surprise. The next day, once again, just before bidding Pondy adieu we decided to visit Zuka. Yes, twice in 2 days.. :-) 

This time we decided to try something different. I once again turned to Srinath who recommended the Expresso mousse dessert, it came in a shot glass and with every spoonful there was a burst of coffee in my mouth. 

My friend ordered the Crunchy Caramel cake, a soft cake where the base had been soaked[rather sprayed] with caramel sauce and topped with crunchy caramel bits. Yumm... 

Started in 2009, "Choco- Là" by Srinath Balachandran is a place that does true justice to Chocolates. While chatting with him, came to know he went to France and worked in the master chocolate maker Mr. Jean Luc Klugesherz's chocolate kitchen. He imports all the raw materials from Belgium and makes each of the items here in Pondicherry.  

Choco Là gift boxes, T-shirts and mugs are also available! They even had a portrait of Thalaivar, Rajinikanth made from Chocolate up on display. 

Most items on the menu are priced between Rs50 and Rs80. Next time you are in Pondy, make a beeline for Mission Street, and you will find Zuka right there... It is also adjacent to Pasta Bar Veneto. 


Ambiance: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Price: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
 
Open daily from 9.30am to 10.30pm
# 319 Mission Street
Ph- (0413) 222 1191
Email: srinath@ebonyfoods.in
URL: http://www.ebonyfoods.in/

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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Sunny's, Bangalore

The one restaurant that has created waves, both high and low in my circle is Sunny's in Bangalore. 

So, as luck would have it this time when i was in Bangalore, a friend of mine asked if i wanted to head there for lunch. She too had been hearing reviews and wanted to check it out [before she packed her bags and moved outta Bangalore for good]. Gave me the UB City as landmark and i promptly landed there around 1noon, subsequent to which i walked it down the few steps to Sunny's.

This Sunny's is the original one she said, apparently there is another outlet in Bangalore, but this one came first!! :-) 

The 1st thing that caught my eye was the doggie sleeping near the entrance, wearing a blue collar, curled up on a small door mat oblivious to the bustling noise around. I then spotted another cutie pie under a table, with a red collar. Both dogs were black, and looked like they were used to people, completely unperturbed. 

We decided to sit in the outer area and were received by the Maitre'd who led us to a table for 2. There was a lovely canopy of sorts, adding to a bright sunny sort of atmosphere. The seating was casual, and were given the Menu card to choose from. 

There were pages and pages of dishes, ranging from Sandwiches, Soups, Sizzlers, Pizza, Pasta to Sea food platters. I chose a Grilled vegetable & Sun dried tomato Sandwich while my friend opted for the Prawn platter [forgot the name of the dish]. We also asked for a Pepsi/coke each.  A plate with warm buns and a butter made with pesto arrived on our table. The bun was warm & soft, while the butter was oozing with flavour. As we caught up on our lives, her job hunt, the decision to move back home, half an hour must have passed. Sometime during our chat, both our dishes were brought out to the table.

They looked good. The prawns were huge, served amidst a tomato based sauce and served along side a small Red Chilli in oil of sorts[a dip perhaps]. My Sandwich looked simple served with a side of boiled potatoes in cream/herbs.

The sandwich was ok, felt bland, salt and spice was missing completely. But the potatoes- Oh they were divine, just beautiful....

My friend said her prawns were good, but a bit oily. I did notice there was some oil leaking from somewhere running all over the plate.. And she said it was a huge portion for one person.... The dip was ooh la la, spicy [like you will hit the roof if you were Tom in Tom & Jerry toon]

To see if we could change our opinion about the place, we decided to order a dessert- My friend chose- Rum soaked chocolate mousse.. Yumm, it was good, but then again nothing OH WOW about it... Overall, we were quite disappointed with the food, especially when they have priced it so high and felt it was too much Hype, and below Quality.....



Will i go back? Nope, dont think so, especially when there are far better places around town..

Ambiance- 7/10
Price: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Overall Rating: 7/10


Address:

Sunny's
#34, Embassy Diamante, [Just ahead of UB City, near the Shell Petrol bunk]
Vittal Mallya Road,
Lavelle Road,
Bangalore
Phone : 080 41329366, 080 22243642

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Donut House, Chennai

What is round, and sweet, or
What is round and has cheese on top
What is round and has a gooey sweet filling with a simple icing?

There can only be one answer.. Donuts from Donut House!! The outlet i visited was the one in Egmore and it was World Donut Day- June1st and they had an offer " Buy 1 get 1 free".. How cool is that? So, on the way back from a meeting, i hopped into the place and brought home 2 boxes of 6 donuts in all.. 

 

This was not my 1st visit to the Donut house, but it was the 1st time i was there alone.. The very 1st visit was to catch up with a friend, when we split a sandwich and had a cool drink.. The 2nd time was a meeting with my partner & a PR agency... So, this was a special visit of sorts!! I have had donuts in many many many places, and also know how to make them at home [ i did attend a bakery class thanks to a friend wanting to learn cooking/baking before she tied the knot] Since then, i had made donuts at home plenty of times, but they were all the usual boring donuts with chocolate icing. 

 Alas, the oven died a not so pleasant death and since then no baking, unless it can be cooked in a micro wave oven. This brought an end to my Donut making days...!! 

So, anyways, i digress. There i was at Donut house, and instantly eyes went towards the display counter, making sure there were some of different flavours still sitting pretty in their trays. I picked out the savory Donut- with grated cheese and Italian herbs to eat, and went on to order some for take away. It was the 1st time i was having a savory donut, the common ones are with chocolate icing [sold in bakeries across the country and very few are yummy, most are dry, dense or just weird tasting]

Special mention: All donuts at Donut House are eggless!! 

 

 

Spotted Bhuvanesh in the kitchen, who graciously came to say hello and we ended up chatting quite a bit!! Recently, he has opened the 2nd outlet [not counting the stand in Express Avenue Food court], which he said was faring quite nicely.

I noticed an image of what looked like Donuts with Olives, and instantly Bhuvanesh jumped in saying "sorry, we dont have it today" :)

The donuts look so inviting, with shimmering sauces and toppings, all sitting neatly in the trays as if they were waiting for marching orders. I brought home a few chocolate donuts, 1 that was lemon tea with a beautiful lemon filling, 1 that had blueberry filling and an Irish coffee donut....  not only did these donuts look good, they tasted divine as well... Friends & Family who had them couldnt stop raving about them!!

Food: 9/10
Service: 8/10 [ i picked up my order from the counter]
Price: 8/10 [Rs50 per donut]
Varieties: 9.5/10 [waiting for them to surprise me some more ;)]


Address:
Wellington Plaza  [Next to Presidency Club, opp to Ethiraj College for women]
Dr. PV Cherian Crecent Salai,
Egmore, Chennai- 600008

Phone: 09600127725

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Eco Cafe, Chennai

There i was, wading through thick traffic trying to make sure i got to Eco Cafe before 8pm [well, i am normally on time, but this particular evening i had succumbed to the chaotic one way streets and road blocks] .. Anyways, i reached and discovered most of the troops were already there plus a few new faces.. After a quick Hi hello and hey, nice to see you again, i found a seat and started chatting up. The wall with photographs transported me to Goa, i peered into them, but all i managed were a few dates and years. There was also an antique [finish] curio cupboard placed near the wall, that had quite a few random curio pieces...

Eco Cafe is a place i connect with fond memories, meeting friends, catching up with ex-colleagues and a quiet few hours sipping on a hot chocolate while waiting for a friend to finish her afternoon at the spa across the road.

 

A few sketches on the wall along the staircase towards the cafe...

Every meet of ours is different, some filled with awesome amazing food & experience, while some have good conversations but not great food and others a whole lot of interesting insights extending beyond food.

As the night wore on, i understood the true meaning of "eat with your eyes", but if only that were true!! I managed to catch the eye of a waiter and placed my order. A strawberry+orange drink and Sun dried tomato sandwich. 

I noticed Doc had a drink in front of him that many were tasting and analyzing, so i too jumped in, tried it and figured it was something to do with Chocolates and almond... Not really my kinda drink... And then arrived a blueish greenish thick drink which was a Blueberry shake, but had more of Banana flavor to it. Atleast it was cool, against the harsh summer evening. 

The food slowly trickled in, and i waited for quite some time, reminded the man behind the counter of my order and then waited some more... We were seated at the far end of the room, where the lighting was dim and AC was well, barely there, it was fairly warm. The table adjacent was perfect- the AC right next to it and the lights overhead. So, the food made it to that table 1st with all the cameras going click click click before spoons, and forks sneaked in. It was quite a sight.  There were a few who dragged their chairs and plonked on that table... and it was amusing watching each one fight to taste what they had ordered before it went cold and limp. We nibbled on the potato wedges and took a bite of the bruschettas [ one with tomato, one with pesto, two with different kinds of olives] as we caught up on life.

 

An antipasti salad made with Pasta, zucchini, pesto and aubergine arrived, it was to have a vinaigrette dressing, but alas, it was quite dry, the pasta was rubbery and each ingredient stood separate, lacking sauce and flavour. The Vegetable Chowder soup was alright, the garlic bread accompanying the soup was good. Finally, after quite a bit of waiting, my drink arrived- it was quite strong, i had tried it once before and liked it. But that night i wasnt sure if it was the same drink.

And then, suddenly i noticed my sandwich arrive, and enjoy its 15mins of fame under the limelight. The french fries accompanying it were good.One bite into the sandwich and i took a pause, trying to figure out that one overpowering flavour.. There was the tanginess of the sun dried tomatoes and the basil leaves which burst in my mouth. I did enjoy it, but just wish the bread was tad softer. 

 

Pancakes & Sun dried Tomato sandwich..

The girls had ordered a Pasta with Pesto, and quesadilla, which came in a few minutes. I did try the pasta, which was tad overcooked but had a nice creamy sauce, alas the pesto was once again overpowering. The quesadilla i dint get to taste, saw it arrive and then poof, it was gone...

while i chatted with a few left in the table i noticed a few make a beeline for the table at the other end of the room, and spotted a plate with a cute looking orange Caramel Custard with a few orange slices neatly arranged around the dessert.

 

It was quite tasty, with the orange flavour coming through beautifully. As i bid adieu i could hear the laughter and chit chat of the guys who were digging into a Bass fish dish that had landed on their table.

Yet another interesting day comes to end....

Ambiance: 8/10 

Food: 5/10 [I love their hot chocolate, but they should notch up their food, flavours and sauces]

Service: 6/10

Address:
#85, Chamiers Road
Chennai- 600028
Phone:  (044) 42030734, (044) 42030733


Directions: When you drive down TTK road, you turn left at the signal and will find Eco cafe on the right, bang opp Oryza spa.
 

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